Joe Root surpasses Alastair Cook as England thrives in first test against Pakistan

Joe Root etched his name in history as England's highest run-scorer in test cricket, surpassing Alastair Cook's 12,472 runs with a straight-driven boundary. Root reached 72 by lunch on the third day of the first test against Pakistan, steering England to a rapid 232-2 in 45 overs.

Root now stands fifth on the all-time list of test run-scorers, with Sachin Tendulkar leading at 15,921 runs. Ben Duckett, who returned after a thumb injury, was unbeaten on 80 off 67 balls as England racked up 136 runs in the first session, resuming on 96-1. They still trail Pakistan by 324 runs after Pakistan's first-innings total of 556 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

England lost Zak Crawley (78) early when he chipped a catch to Shaheen Shah Afridi, adding 14 runs to his overnight score. But Duckett and Root aggressively tackled both pace and spin, with leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed conceding 79 runs from his 12 overs. Pakistan wasted two reviews—one against Duckett and another against Root—as England dominated the session.